If there were a picture next to a definition of an NFL journeyman, Josh Johnson would most certainly reside there.
The 38-year-old has played for seven NFL teams and signed contracts with 14 franchises.
However, it seems as though his long and winding road might finally have led to a home as the Baltimore Ravens’ solidified backup quarterback.
Johnson was a perfect 11-of-11 passing for 120 yards, a touchdown, no interceptions and a 142.4 rating during the Ravens’ 13-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday. The performance was a sigh of relief following a subpar showing in his Week 1 preseason showing.
"I was frustrated last week," said Johnson, via the team website. "I know I expect more of myself. I expect more of this offense. But I also know there were things that we had to grow on as a unit, and I felt like we focused on that.
"It happened to just be that day was a rough day. But we got another opportunity. We moved on past it and we improved. And now we're going to stack."
A week prior, Johnson was an uninspiring 4-of-12 passing for 62 yards with no touchdowns and a 51.4 rating against the Philadelphia Eagles. The performance might have caused some to doubt if the veteran was ready to be Lamar Jackson’s backup or if another vet should be signed to take the job. Head coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Todd Monken were not among those doubting Johnson, though. And after Johnson's game against the Falcons, Harbaugh was pleased.
"I thought he played really well," Harbaugh said. "Josh did a great job."
Johnson truly has had an NFL career unlike any other.
Taking a gander at his Pro Football Reference page and there’s nearly 90 transactions listed for him.
The legendary Johnny Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere” might well be a song that could best describe Johnson’s football journey.
For his career, Johnson has played in 39 games since he was selected in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s started nine games, thrown for 2,280 yards, 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Those stats come from playing time with the Bucs, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Washington, New York Jets, Ravens (in a prior stint) and the San Francisco 49ers.
However, he hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2022 with the 49ers.
He’s also been with the Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos.
Fourteen NFL clubs in total, but he’s also an alum of the Alliance of American Football and Xtreme Football League. With the XFL having merged into the United Football League, Johnson’s career has outlasted the spring leagues he once played in.
Perhaps he can finally unpack in Baltimore. His performance Saturday gives reason that could be in the future.
"It feels good to execute," Johnson said. "That's all we went back to work and focused on this week was execution. Timing, route detail, quarterback feet, everything. All the little details that it takes to be efficient in the passing game. But we took the work from practice onto the field, so I felt good about that."